England captain Harry Brook tore apart the Sri Lankan attack in the third match of the tri-nation series which also features Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Association Stadium, as he smashed the fastest double century in ODI cricket.
He reached the milestone in just 114 balls, breaking Shubman Gill's record of 117 deliveries, which was achieved against West Indies last month.
During the course of his knock, Brook also became the first England player to score a double century, passing Ben Stokes' previous record of 182 against New Zealand in 2023.
His gargantuan effort is the 14th double century in men's ODI history, and the 12th highest individual score ever recorded in the ODI format.
Brook also became only the second player after Chris Gayle to achieve the rare triumvirate of scoring a 300 in Tests, 200 in ODIs and a century in T20Is.
{{/usCountry}}Brook also became only the second player after Chris Gayle to achieve the rare triumvirate of scoring a 300 in Tests, 200 in ODIs and a century in T20Is.
{{/usCountry}}Following England's tri-series opening defeat to Pakistan, the 27-year-old captain led from the front against Sri Lanka, as he powered England to a massive total of 429-4, the highest ODI team total ever scored on Pakistani soil.
Here is a list of the fastest double centuries in ODI history:
| Batter | Team | Balls to 200 | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Brook | England | 114 | Sri Lanka |
| Shubman Gill | India | 117 | West Indies |
| Ishan Kishan | India | 126 | Bangladesh |
| Glenn Maxwell | Australia | 128 | Afghanistan |
| Pathum Nissanka | Sri Lanka | 136 | Afghanistan |
ALSO READ: Samson, Iyer and Dhir fashion record win for India
From slow start to record-breaking pace
Harry Brook started his innings cautiously, scoring 13 runs in his first 24 balls before slightly picking up pace. He reached his fifty in 42 balls, and then accelerated a bit to score his century in 75 deliveries. Once he was past three figures, he cut loose, as he tore apart the Sri Lankan bowling attack. He needed only 39 more balls to race from 100 to 200.
England's marathon innings was set up by opener Tom Banton (50) and Ben Duckett (29), before Brook and Joe Root (69) added 159 runs for the third wicket.
After Root fell, Will Jacks was promoted to number five and joined his captain for a breathtaking 185-run partnership off just 79 balls. Will Jacks hit an unbeaten 66 from 25 balls as England piled on 156 runs in the final 10 overs.
This innings continues Brook's remarkable form in Pakistan, where he also averages over 80 in six Test matches, including a 317 in Multan two years ago. In fact, statistics show that Brook thrives more with the mantle of England captain on his head. As ODI captain, Brook averages 56.04 compared to 25.20 when not leading the side. In T20Is too, he averages 47.57 as captain, compared to 28.50 when he is not captaining the side.